
4
2
LESSONS IN GALATIANS
4.
Isaac was the child of faith, the child of promise, born of
the Spirit. If we truly believe, then we are born again, "born
from above" (John 3 :3, margin), and, like Isaac, are the children
of promise, having the New Jerusalem for our mother. We may
expect tribulation and persecution from the flesh, even from our
own flesh; but that is only for our encouragement. "If ye were
of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, there-
fore the world hateth you." John 15: 19.
5.
"Cast out the bondwoman and her son." Does this seem
like" a hard commandment ? Do not regard it so; it conveys a
most glorious promise. It is a personal word to each one of us.
The bondwoman is the covenant of human works, and the son is
our own sinful flesh, which only shows itself the more sinful the
more we try to do the works of the law. It must be cast forth,
for only free-born sons can inherit the promise. "Every one that
cornmitteth sin is the bond-servant of sin. And the bond-servant
abideth not in the house forever; the son abideth ever." John
8 : 34,
35•
Who gives the order ? It is God, who said, "Let there
be light," and the light was. If we recognize Him as Creator,
we shall see that His command, "Cast out the bondwoman and
her son," is proof that it shall be done, and we shall be delivered
from every phase and every trace of bondage. It is the procla-"
illation of liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to
them that are bound. Isa. 61 : I,
2.
6.
The word has already been spoken and the freedom is ours.
With the psalmist we may say, "0 Lord, truly I am thy servant;
I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast
loosed my bonds." Ps. 116 : 16. Whoever comes to the Lord,
acknowledging himself to be God's servant, is by Him acknowl-
edged as a son, alive from the dead. Being sons, we shall abide
in the house of the Lord forever.
7.
"Brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of
the free." No matter though we have been bound hitherto, we
are sons of the free woman, because the proclamation of freedom
has gone forth to all. The bonds are loosed, but we may not
have known it. All we have to do is to arise, shake ourselves from
the dust of the dungeon, and loose ourselves from the bands of
our neck. Isa. 52 : I, 2. Don't stay in slavery after the emanci-
pation has been proclaimed. Liberty has been proclaimed to all
the inhabitants of the land, to the sinners of the Jews as well as
to the sinners of the Gentiles; to professed Christians, who find
a yoke of bondage still on their necks, as well as to the reckless
transgressor.
8.
With freedom Christ did set us free, even with His own
freedom. "The glorious liberty of the children of God," is a
present reality. The inanimate creation yet groans under the